Niger

total: 12,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)

state-run TV station; 3 private TV stations provide a mix of local and foreign programming; state-run radio has only radio station with national coverage; about 30 private radio stations operate locally; as many as 100 community radio stations broadcast; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available

.ne

total: 5.5 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 22% (2021 est.)

general assessment: Niger is one of the largest countries in West Africa but also one of the poorest in the world; as with many African markets, a lack of fixed telecoms infrastructure has led to growth in mobile services; Niger s mobile penetration is modest compared to other countries in the region, while fixed broadband penetration is negligible; recent international investment to complete the Trans-Saharan Dorsal optical fiber (SDR) network has extended the reach of fiber infrastructure in the country, and also increased international capacity; new cables linking the country with Chad and Burkina Faso have extended Niger s connectivity with international cable infrastructure (2022) domestic: fixed-line less than 1 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular at nearly 56 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

total subscriptions: 58,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions: 14.239 million (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 56 (2021 est.)

millet, cowpeas, sorghum, onions, milk, groundnuts, sugarcane, cabbages, cassava, potatoes (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

revenues: $2.325 billion (2019 est.) expenditures: $2.785 billion (2019 est.)

Moody's rating: B3 (2019) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

-$2.5 billion (2022 est.) -$2.099 billion (2021 est.) -$1.816 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$3.688 billion (2022 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

low-income Sahel economy; major instability and humanitarian crises limit economic activity; COVID-19 eliminated recent antipoverty gains; economy rebounding since December 2020 Nigerian border reopening and new investments; uranium resource rich

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 606.57 (2023 est.) 623.76 (2022 est.) 554.531 (2021 est.) 575.586 (2020 est.) 585.911 (2019 est.)

$1.376 billion (2022 est.) $1.487 billion (2021 est.) $1.338 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

gold, oil seeds, radioactive chemicals, refined petroleum, uranium and thorium ore (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

UAE 69%, France 9%, China 9%, Nigeria 3%, Mali 2% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$16.819 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 72% (2021 est.) government consumption: 17.3% (2021 est.) investment in fixed capital: 26.4% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 8.8% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -21.6% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 47.8% (2023 est.) industry: 20.2% (2023 est.) services: 26.9% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

32.9 (2021 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

lowest 10%: 3.8% (2021 est.) highest 10%: 27.8% (2021 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$4.194 billion (2022 est.) $4.027 billion (2021 est.) $3.542 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

weapons parts and accessories, rice, aircraft, tobacco, iron pipes (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 22%, France 14%, Nigeria 8%, Germany 5%, UAE 5% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

2.9% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

uranium mining, petroleum, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses

3.7% (2023 est.) 4.23% (2022 est.) 3.84% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

10.237 million (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

40.8% (2018 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

45.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

$44.561 billion (2023 est.) $43.474 billion (2022 est.) $38.851 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

2.5% (2023 est.) 11.9% (2022 est.) 1.38% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$1,600 (2023 est.) $1,700 (2022 est.) $1,500 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.15% of GDP (2023 est.) 4.7% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.37% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$1.314 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $1.186 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

21.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

0.55% (2023 est.) 0.55% (2022 est.) 0.82% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 0.8% (2023 est.) male: 0.9% (2023 est.) female: 0.8% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

2.454 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 674,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 1.722 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from consumed natural gas: 58,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

production: 457,000 metric tons (2022 est.) consumption: 457,000 metric tons (2022 est.) imports: 3,000 metric tons (2022 est.) proven reserves: 90 million metric tons (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity: 359,000 kW (2022 est.) consumption: 1.594 billion kWh (2022 est.) imports: 1.173 billion kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 364.8 million kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population: 19.5% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 66.1% electrification - rural areas: 7.7%

fossil fuels: 94.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 5.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

1.405 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

production: 29.509 million cubic meters (2022 est.) consumption: 29.858 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

total petroleum production: 6,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 13,000 bbl/day (2022 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 150 million barrels (2021 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 50.15 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 2.02 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 22.99 megatons (2020 est.)

desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; contaminated water; inadequate potable water; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

widespread lack of access: due to internal conflict, high food prices, and floods - about 3.28 million people are projected to be acutely food insecure during the June to August 2023 lean season period; this would be an improvement on the situation in 2022, mostly reflecting the sharp upturn in crop yields following the below average cereal output in 2021; persistent insecurity continues to disrupt livelihoods and has displaced over 370,000 people, mostly in the Diffa, Tahoua and Tillabery regions, as of May 2023; high food prices, as well as the floods in 2022 that affected about 327,000 people, are additional factors that have aggravated food insecurity (2023)

agricultural land: 35.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 12.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 22.7% (2018 est.) forest: 1% (2018 est.) other: 63.9% (2018 est.)

Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Murzuk-Djado Basin

fresh water lake(s): Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km note - area varies by season and year to year

Niger (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, Benin, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

4.41% of GDP (2018 est.)

34.05 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal: 190 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 2.35 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

urban population: 17.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 4.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,865,646 tons (1993 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 74,626 tons (2005 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 4% (2005 est.)

total : 1.267 million sq km land: 1,266,700 sq km water: 300 sq km

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

0 km (landlocked)

highest point: Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m lowest point: Niger River 200 m mean elevation: 474 m

16 00 N, 8 00 E

landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world; northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture

2,666 sq km (2020)

total: 5,834 km border countries (7): Algeria 951 km; Benin 277 km; Burkina Faso 622 km; Chad 1,196 km; Libya 342 km; Mali 838 km; Nigeria 1,608 km

agricultural land: 35.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 12.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 22.7% (2018 est.) forest: 1% (2018 est.) other: 63.9% (2018 est.)

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Murzuk-Djado Basin

fresh water lake(s): Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km note - area varies by season and year to year

Niger (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, Benin, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

Africa

none (landlocked)

recurring droughts

uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum

majority of the populace is located in the southernmost extreme of the country along the border with Nigeria and Benin as shown in this population distribution map

predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north

7 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district* (communaute urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder

name: Niamey geographic coordinates: 13 31 N, 2 07 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: according to tradition, the site was originally a fishing village named after a prominent local tree referred to as "nia niam"

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Niger dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: unknown

history: several previous; passed by referendum 31 October 2010, entered into force 25 November 2010 amendments: formerly proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; consideration of amendments requires at least three-fourths majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires at least four-fifths majority vote; if disapproved, the proposed amendment is dropped or submitted to a referendum; constitutional articles on the form of government, the multiparty system, the separation of state and religion, disqualification of Assembly members, amendment procedures, and amnesty of participants in the 2010 coup cannot be amended; amended 2011, 2017 Note: on 26 July 2023, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a military junta which took control of Niger's government, dissolved the country's constitution

conventional long form: Republic of Niger conventional short form: Niger local long form: R publique du Niger local short form: Niger etymology: named for the Niger River that passes through the southwest of the country; from a native term "Ni Gir" meaning "River Gir" note: pronounced nee-zhair

chief of mission: Ambassador Kathleen FITZGIBBON (since 2 December 2023) embassy: BP 11201, Niamey mailing address: 2420 Niamey Place, Washington DC 20521-2420 telephone: [227] 20-72-26-61 FAX: [227] 20-73-55-60 email address and website: consulateniamey@state.gov https://ne.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d'Affaires Hassane IDI (since 3 August 2023) chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 FAX: [1] (202) 483-3169 email address and website: communication@embassyofniger.org http://www.embassyofniger.org/

chief of state: President of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) General Abdourahame TIANI (since 28 July 2023) head of government: CNSP Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine ZEINE (since 9 August 2023) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the CNSP; Cabinet previously appointed by the elected president elections/appointments: the CNSP rules by decree; previously, the president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 27 December 2020 with a runoff held on 21 February 2021 (next election was to be held in 2025); prime minister appointed by the president, authorized by the National Assembly election results: 2020/2021 : Mohamed BAZOUM elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Mohamed BAZOUM (PNDS-Tarrayya) 39.3%, Mahamane OUSMANE (MODEN/FA Lumana Africa) 17%, Seini OUMAROU (MNSD-Nassara) 9%, Albade ABOUDA (MPR-Jamhuriya) 7.1%, other 27.6%; percent of vote in second round - Mohamed BAZOUM 55.7%, Mahamane OUSMANE 44.3% 2016 : ISSOUFOU Mahamadou reelected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - ISSOUFOU Mahamadou (PNDS-Tarrayya) 48.6%, Hama AMADOU (MODEN/FA Lumana Africa) 17.8%, Seini OUMAROU (MNSD-Nassara) 11.3%, other 22.3%; percent of vote in second round - ISSOUFOU Mahamadou 92%, Hama AMADOU 8% note: deposed president BAZOUM has been under house arrest since a military coup on 26 July 2023

three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk centered in the white band; the orange band denotes the drier northern regions of the Sahara; white stands for purity and innocence; green symbolizes hope and the fertile and productive southern and western areas, as well as the Niger River; the orange disc represents the sun and the sacrifices made by the people note: similar to the flag of India, which has a blue spoked wheel centered in the white band

formerly, semi-presidential republic Note: on 26 July 2023, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a military junta which took control of Niger's government, dissolved all government institutions, and rules by decree

3 August 1960 (from France)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), CD, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC, MIGA, MINUSCA, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s): formerly the Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges); High Court of Justice (consists of 7 members) judge selection and term of office: formerly, Constitutional Court judges nominated/elected - 1 by the president of the Republic, 1 by the president of the National Assembly, 2 by peer judges, 2 by peer lawyers, 1 law professor by peers, and 1 from within Nigerien society; all appointed by the president; judges serve 6-year nonrenewable terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years; High Judicial Court members selected from among the legislature and judiciary; members serve 5-year terms subordinate courts: formerly, Court of Cassation; Council of State; Court of Finances; various specialized tribunals and customary courts Note: on 26 July 2023, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a military junta which took control of Niger's government, dissolved the country's judicial system

note - following the 26 July 2023 military coup, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland assumed control of all government institutions and rules by decree; formerly, mixed legal system of civil law, based on French civil law, Islamic law, and customary law

description: formerly the unicameral National Assembly (171 statutory seats - 166 currently; 158 members directly elected from 8 multi-member constituencies in 7 regions and Niamey by party-list proportional representation, 8 reserved for minorities elected in special single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 5 seats reserved for Nigeriens living abroad - 1 seat per continent - elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 27 December 2020 (prior to the military coup, next elections were to be held in December 2025) election results: percent of vote by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 37%, MODEN/FA Lumana 8.7%, MPR-Jamhuriya 7.6%, MNSD-Nassara 6.8%, RDR-Tchanji 4.4%, CPR-Inganci 4.2%, MPN-Kishin Kassa 4%, PJP Generation Dubara 2.9%, ANDP Zaman Lahya 2.5%, RPP Farrilla 2.1%, ARD Adaltchi-Mutuntchi 1.7%, AMEN AMIN 1.4%, MDEN Falala 1.4%, other 15.3%; seats by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 79, MODEN/FA Lumana 19, MPR-Jamhuriya 14, MNSD-Nassara 13, CPR-Inganci 8, MPN-Kishin Kassa 6, ANDP-Zaman Lahiya 3, RPP Farrilla 2, PJP Generation Dubara 2, ARD Adaltchi-Mutuntchi 2, AMEN AMIN 2, other 16; composition - men 115, women 51, percentage women 30.7% Note: on 26 July 2023, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a military junta which took control of Niger's government, dissolved the National Assembly

name: "La Nigerienne" (The Nigerien) lyrics/music: Maurice Albert THIRIET/Robert JACQUET and Nicolas Abel Francois FRIONNET note: adopted 1961

total World Heritage Sites: 3 (1 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Air and T n r Natural Reserves (n); W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (n); Historic Agadez (c)

Republic Day, 18 December (1958); note - commemorates the founding of the Republic of Niger which predated independence from France in 1960

zebu; national colors: orange, white, green

Alliance for Democracy and the Republic Alliance for Democratic Renewal or ARD-Adaltchi-Mutuntchi Alliance of Movements for the Emergence of Niger or AMEN AMIN Congress for the Republic or CPR-Inganci Democratic Alternation for Equity in Niger Democratic and Republican Renewal-RDR-Tchanji Democratic Movement for the Emergence of Niger Falala Democratic Patriots' Rally or RPD Bazara National Movement for the Development of Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDP-Zaman Lahiya Nigerien Democratic Movement for an African Federation or MODEN/FA Lumana Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya Nigerien Patriotic Movement or MPN-Kishin Kassa Nigerien Rally for Democracy and Peace Patriotic Movement for the Republic or MPR-Jamhuriya Peace, Justice, Progress Generation Doubara Rally for Democracy and Progress-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a Rally for Peace and Progress or RPP Farilla Social Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya Social Democratic Party or PSD-Bassira Note: after the 26 July 2023 military coup, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland dissolved the National Assembly and prohibited all political party activity

18 years of age; universal

Nomadic peoples from the Saharan north and agriculturalists from the south settled present-day Niger. The Taureg kingdom of Takedda was one of the largest kingdoms in the north and played a prominent role in regional trade in the 14 th century. In the south, the primary ethnic groups were the Songhai-Zarma in the west, the Hausa in the center, and the Kanuri in the east. When European colonizers arrived in the 19 th century, the region was an assemblage of disparate local kingdoms. In the late 19th century, the British and French agreed to partition the middle regions of the Niger River, and France began its conquest of what would become the colony of Niger. France experienced determined local resistance -- particularly during the Tuareg uprising (1916-1917) -- but established a colonial administration in 1922. After achieving independence from France in 1960, Niger experienced single-party or military rule until 1991, when political pressure forced General Ali SAIBOU to allow multiparty elections. Political infighting and democratic backsliding led to coups in 1996 and 1999. In 1999, military officers restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power. TANDJA was reelected in 2004 and spearheaded a 2009 constitutional amendment allowing him to extend his presidential term. In 2010, military officers led another coup that deposed TANDJA. ISSOUFOU Mahamadou was elected in 2011 and reelected in 2016. In 2021, BAZOUM Mohamed won the presidential election, marking Niger s first transition from one democratically elected president to another. Nonetheless, a military junta led by General Abdourahamane TIANI once again seized power in July 2023, detaining President BAZOUM and announcing the creation of a National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP). Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. It is ranked fourth to last in the world on the UN Development Program's Human Development Index of 2023/2024. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. The Nigerien Government continues its attempts to diversify the economy through increased oil production and mining projects. In addition, Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya, spillover from the conflict and terrorism in Mali, and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria.

the military seized control of the government in 2023; since its establishment in 1960-61, it has played a significant role in the country s politics, attempting coups in 1974, 1996, 1999, 2010, and 2021, and ruling Niger for much of the period before 1999 while the FAN is responsible for ensuring external security, most of its focus is on internal counterinsurgency/counterterrorism operations against terrorist groups operating in the areas bordering Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, and Nigeria, as well as much of northern Niger and the Diffa and Lake Chad regions; these groups include the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS), Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and Jama at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) since the 2010s, Niger has placed considerable emphasis on improving the effectiveness and mobility of its security forces for countering terrorism and protecting the country s borders; with training support and material assistance from the US and the EU, each security service has created new units or reconfigured existing units with an emphasis on mobility, hybridization, and specialized training; the Army has established a special operations command, several special intervention battalions, and an anti-terrorism unit known as the 1 st Expeditionary Force of Niger (EFoN); the National Gendarmerie has created mobile units modeled on European gendarmerie forces known as the Rapid Action Group Surveillance and Response in the Sahel (Groupe d'action Rapides Surveillance et Intervention au Sahel or GAR-SI Sahel); the National Guard (GNN) has established mobile Multipurpose Squadrons (Escadrons Polyvalentes de la Garde Nationale de Niger or EP-GNN), while the National Police have created Mobile Border Control Companies (Compagnie Mobile de Contr le des Fronti res or CMCF); Niger has also established training centers for special forces in Tillia and peacekeeping in Ouallam; meanwhile, the Air Force has received armed UAVs from Turkey (2024)

Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Nigerien Air Force, Niger Gendarmerie (GN) Ministry of Interior: Niger National Guard (GNN), National Police (2024) note 1: the Gendarmerie (GN) and the National Guard (GNN) are paramilitary forces; the GN has primary responsibility for rural security while the GNN is responsible for domestic security and the protection of high-level officials and government buildings; the GNN in past years was known as the National Forces of Intervention and Security and the Republican Guard note 2: the National Police includes the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance, which is charged with border management

information varies; estimated 30-35,000 active FAN troops; estimated 5-10,000 paramilitary Gendarmerie and National Guard personnel (2024) note: in 2020, the Nigerien Government announced it intended to increase the size of the FAN to 50,000 by 2025 and 100,000 by 2030

Niger has committed about 1,000 troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own country territories, although cross‐border operations are conducted periodically (2024)

the FAN has a wide mix of mostly older, typically Soviet-era, or donated/secondhand weapons and equipment, along with small quantities of more modern items such as unmanned aerial vehicles/drones and air defense systems; suppliers have included China, Egypt, France, Italy, Russia, Turkey, and the US (2024)

2% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2021 est.) 2% of GDP (2020 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

18 is the legal minimum age for selective compulsory or voluntary military service for unmarried men and women; 24-month service term (2023)

0-14 years: 49.5% (male 6,567,460/female 6,463,877) 15-64 years: 47.8% (male 6,146,355/female 6,451,574) 65 years and over: 2.7% (2024 est.) (male 342,388/female 371,130)

total: 0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

46.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

34.6% (2022)

11% (2021)

6.2% of GDP (2020)

80.3% (2023 est.)

9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Niger has the highest total fertility rate (TFR) of any country in the world, averaging close to 7 children per woman in 2022. A slight decline in fertility over the last few decades has stalled. This leveling off of the high fertility rate is in large part a product of the continued desire for large families. In Niger, the TFR is lower than the desired fertility rate, which makes it unlikely that contraceptive use will increase. The high TFR sustains rapid population growth and a large youth population almost 70% of the populace is under the age of 25, as of 2020. Gender inequality, including a lack of educational opportunities for women and early marriage and childbirth, also contributes to high population growth. Because of large family sizes, children are inheriting smaller and smaller parcels of land. The dependence of most Nigeriens on subsistence farming on increasingly small landholdings, coupled with declining rainfall and the resultant shrinkage of arable land, are all preventing food production from keeping up with population growth. For more than half a century, Niger's lack of economic development has led to steady net outmigration. In the 1960s, Nigeriens mainly migrated to coastal West African countries to work on a seasonal basis. Some headed to Libya and Algeria in the 1970s to work in the booming oil industry until its decline in the 1980s. Since the 1990s, the principal destinations for Nigerien labor migrants have been West African countries, especially Burkina Faso and Cote d Ivoire, while emigration to Europe and North America has remained modest. During the same period, Niger s desert trade route town Agadez became a hub for West African and other Sub-Saharan migrants crossing the Sahara to North Africa and sometimes onward to Europe. More than 60,000 Malian refugees have fled to Niger since violence between Malian government troops and armed rebels began in early 2012. Ongoing attacks by the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency, dating to 2013 in northern Nigeria and February 2015 in southeastern Niger, pushed tens of thousands of Nigerian refugees and Nigerien returnees across the border to Niger and displaced thousands of locals in Niger s already impoverished Diffa region.

total dependency ratio: 105.4 youth dependency ratio: 100.4 elderly dependency ratio: 5 potential support ratio: 20.1 (2021 est.)

improved: urban: 95.8% of population rural: 63.1% of population total: 68.6% of population unimproved: urban: 4.2% of population rural: 36.9% of population total: 31.4% of population (2020 est.)

3.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Hausa 53.1%, Zarma/Songhai 21.2%, Tuareg 11%, Fulani (Peuhl) 6.5%, Kanuri 5.9%, Gurma 0.8%, Arab 0.4%, Tubu 0.4%, other/unavailable 0.9% (2006 est.)

3.27 (2024 est.)

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)

total: 64.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 69.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Hausa, Zarma, French (official), Fufulde, Tamashek, Kanuri, Gurmancema, Tagdal note: represents the most-spoken languages; Niger has 10 national languages: Arabic, Buduma, Fulfuld , Guimancema, Hausa, Kanuri, Sonay-Zarma, Tamajaq, Tassawaq, and Tubu

total population: 60.9 years (2024 est.) male: 59.3 years female: 62.5 years

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 37.3% male: 45.8% female: 29% (2018)

1.437 million NIAMEY (capital) (2023)

441 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

total: 15.2 years (2024 est.) male: 14.9 years female: 15.6 years

18.5 years (2012 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien

-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

5.5% (2016)

0.04 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

total: 26,342,784 male: 13,056,203 female: 13,286,581 (2024 est.)

majority of the populace is located in the southernmost extreme of the country along the border with Nigeria and Benin as shown in this population distribution map

3.66% (2024 est.)

Muslim 95.5%, ethnic religionist 4.1%, Christian 0.3%, agnostics and other 0.1% (2020 est.)

improved: urban: 81.9% of population rural: 13.5% of population total: 24.8% of population unimproved: urban: 18.1% of population rural: 86.5% of population total: 75.2% of population (2020 est.)

total: 6 years male: 7 years female: 6 years (2017)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total: 7.4% (2020 est.) male: 13.7% (2020 est.) female: 1.1% (2020 est.)

6.64 children born/woman (2024 est.)

urban population: 17.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 4.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham West Africa (ISIS-WA); Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM); al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

a transit country for illegal drugs shipped through Niger to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East; drugs from South America, cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and various synthetics transit through Niger to European and Middle Eastern markets; hashish from Morocco is trafficked through Niger to Libya and Egypt and Europe and the Middle East; Nigerien citizens and migrants crossing Niger consume significant quantities of the opioid tramadol from neighboring Nigeria

refugees (country of origin): 67,191 (Mali) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023); 200,423 (Nigeria) (2024) IDPs: 335,277 (includes the regions of Diffa, Tillaberi, and Tahoua; unknown how many of the 11,000 people displaced by clashes between government forces and the Tuareg militant group, Niger Movement for Justice, in 2007 are still displaced; inter-communal violence; Boko Haram attacks in southern Niger, 2015) (2023)

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Niger was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/niger/

26 (2024)

5U

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3

2,444 km oil (2024)

total: 18,949 km paved: 3,979 km unpaved: 14,969 km (2018)

563 km (2024) (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March)